Nelson Urban Acres is a multi-plot urban farm in the city of Nelson, BC.
Paul Hoepfner-Homme is one of the farmers at this urban agricultural enterprise.
BE; How did you get started in urban farming?
PH: I've had an interest in gardening ever since I was a child living in the suburban town of Oakville, Ontario. My mother was a keen organic gardener and I remember getting excited about the edible delights that would fruit in our gardens over the course of a growing season. However I didn't do any serious gardening until much later.
In my late teens I began to read books that spoke of the environmental perils faced by our society, and how a culture bound by such destructive lifestyles couldn't possibly survive another century. It motivated me to seek out a new way of living that was less harmful to the earth and ways of encouraging others to do the same.
As a result I found myself volunteering on organic farms in Ontario. Through these experiences I discovered that I had a real love for growing things, especially food. When I was in the garden, I was in my element. I eventually completed an organic farming internship at a farm and environmental learning centre called Everdale. At that point I knew that someday I wanted to be a full-time farmer - it was just a matter of figuring out the details.
Not long afterwards I moved to the Kootenays in BC, specifically the city of Nelson. I discovered the SPIN-Farming business model, which is a set of recommendations designed to help establish an organic farm business on less than an acre, and thus it is especially suited to city dwellers. The low capital investment really appealed to me; for the first time I could actually see my dream farm as a reality.
I also felt strongly that the best way to mitigate the effects of peak oil and climate change is to grow more food closer to where it is consumed, cities being the most obvious first choices. (The documentary The Power of Community, a film that shows how successful urban agriculture can be, was another great motivation for me.) Finally, I felt that what better way to inspire others to make positive changes to their lifestyle than to show them how a great deal of food can be grown, organically, right in their own neighbourhood?
I partnered with a friend in town to get our SPIN-Farm started, and we called it Nelson Urban Acres.
BE: What services does Nelson Urban Acres offer?
PH: Nelson Urban Acres is a multi-plot vegetable farm, and its land base is people's backyards in Nelson. We offer our landowners complete management of a section of their property, including tilling, planting, weeding, harvesting, and cover-cropping. We create a beautiful edible landscape that requires no management by them whatsoever, though they are welcome to water the garden if they wish to be involved. In exchange for the use of their land, they also receive a share of the farm's harvest every week.
We sell our produce at the local farmers' market, as well as to select restaurants and individual families on a weekly basis.
BE: What problems, if any, did you encounter getting started?
PH: It took a while for us to acquire good plots of land. Nelson is very hilly and most backyard plots are small or sloped. However, we advertised in various ways, and in time, we did end up acquiring enough garden space by mid-summer.
We found we were scrambling to get the watering of all of our plots properly taken care of. Most landowners' water pressure was average to low, and many wouldn't evenly cover even 1000 square feet (which was our preferred minimum garden size). We also found that we had to spend a lot of time circulating amongst the gardens to make sure they were all adequately watered. At the height of summer, baby lettuce greens need to stay consistently watered to prevent going bitter, and baby greens are one of our primary crops. Eventually we found a rhythm that worked, but it was a challenging learning process.
I don't drive, and I found that navigating the steep hills on my bike was more challenging than I expected. I even purchased an electric motor for my bike, which assisted greatly, but even so it was challenging to stay on top of all the farm tasks when the act of hauling myself, fertilizer, tools and produce was added to the to-do list. This year I have a second electric motor and a custom-built bike trailer that I hope will be a big improvement in that regard.
BE: Any thoughts for someone who wants to become an urban farmer?
PH: Refer to the SPIN-Farming website if you're interested in starting a business on urban farming
) I found its guides to be both inspirational and highly practical, and I don't know where I'd be if it weren't for the information from that site. Their private mailing list is also a continuous stream of valuable tips and tricks for urban and rural farmers alike.
Also, Eliot Coleman's New Organic Grower is probably known as the bible on organic farming for the 21st century, and it gets into the important nitty-gritty about organic farming processes that the SPIN guides don't cover.
A good business plan is always a good idea before you get started. I would recommend taking a course in business planning to ensure the maximum success in your first year - but expect the first year to be a big learning experience, too.
I hope this summary inspires more of your readers to become urban farmers!
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